Tag: blaise pascal

Quoted from Blaise Pascal’s literary work, Pensées (Thoughts). Pascal was a French mathematician who later turned to Christianity.

“Before we examine the evidence of the truth of Christianity, I need to point out an inconsistency of those who are careless about the truth. Yet it is vital to them, for it intimately affects their lives. Of all their miscalculations, this is what most blatantly shows up their blind folly.

It is this. This present life is momentary, but the state of death is eternal. How terribly important it is then to live in the light of the eternal since it ultimately affects all that we do or think. Since nothing is more obvious than this observation, how absurd is it to behave differently? That we as a people have a sense of eternity and yet we’re drawn to live for the present. And nothing could be more foolish. Seen from this angle, how absurd it is for people to go through life without regard for their final destiny.

Instead they are lead as they feel inclined, and they indulge themselves unreflective and careless as though they could wipe out eternity and enjoy some passing happiness merely by repressing their thoughts. Yet death is real, for it threatens us at every moment of time while eternity is also real, and is in this fact a threat of ultimate destruction and misery.

This creates the prospect of terrible consequences. Indeed, it is the prospect of eternal damnation. Yet people do not even bother to find out if eternity is merely an old wive’s tale. Though this stares them in the face, they do not even trouble to find out if the argument for it is valid. They have no idea whether they should or should not refuse to face up to this question. What an appalling way to behave.”

(Pensées “Thoughts” By Blaise Pascal, French mathematician who later turned to Christianity)